We received this very file sometimes ago in 1997.
We felt necessary to offer it to all.
Just for information, we decline any responsibilities about consequences that should occur when playing with some incantations.'You were warned'.The editor.

EDITORS NOTE:

The editor or any boards advertised in this file have nothing to do with the powers of the occult in any way, shape, or form!

WARNING:

TheNECRONOMICON'S magic is nothing to fool with and it may expose you to psychological forces with which you cannot cope. Remember if you fool with the incantations, you were warned! THIS IS NOT A FARCE!!! As a former follower in the ways of the Occult I can guarantee the legitimacy of this.

The NECRONOMICON is about gods ruling the universe long before Man appeared on Earth.

"LET THEM CURSE IT THAT CURSE THEDAY, WHOARESKILFUL TO ROUSE THE LEVIATHAN"

JOB3:8

CHART OF COMPARISONS

H.P. Lovecraft

Aleister Crowley

Sumer

Cthulhu

The Great Beast asrepresented in"CTH/\H 666"

Ctha-lu, kutulu

The Ancient Ones

Satan

Teitan Tiamat Azathoth
Aiwass (?) Azag-thoth

The Dunwitch Horror

Choronzon

Pazuzu Shub Niggurath

Pan

Shub Ishniggarab (?)

Out Of Space

The Abyss

Absu; Nar Mattaru

IA!

IO! IAO!

IA (JAH; EA; LORD OF WATERS)

The Five-pointed

The Pentagram

The AR, or UB(Plough Sign;the original pentagram and sign of the Aryan
race)

gray star cavern
Vermis Mysteriis

The Serpent

Erim (the enemy and the sea as: Chaos; Gothic:
Orim, orWorm great Serpent)

This, of course, is not a complete list but rather an inspirational sampling. Meditation upon the various things mentioned in the Mythos will permit the scholar to draw his own conclusions; researchupon the etymology of both Lovecraft's and Crowley's respective literature enables the occultist to discover the ancient Names and Numbers for much of his own, familiar, material.

(Note that Lovecraft may have heard of Aleister Crowley is hinted at darkly in his short story "The Thing On The Doorstep" in which he refers to a cult leader from England who established a coven stead of sorts in New York. In that story, published in Weird Tales in 1936, the cult leader is closely identified with chthoinc forces, is described as "notorious", and linked to the strange fate that befell the protagonist, Edward Derby)

THE CHART that follows is based on researchpresently available to the editor with regard to Sumerian and Assyro-Babylonian religions. Entries in parenthesis refer to the state of Correspondence before the advent of the Elder Gods, the Race of Marduk; that is, it reflects the nature of the cosmos before the Fall of Marduk from Heaven.

WE CANNOT BE absolutely sure how Sumerian (3000BC) and Akkadian (2000BC) were spoken; but many use full guidelines are available to the student, including the translated tablets found all overMesopotamia. Basically, we can offer the following principles which should prove of value in reciting the foreign language instructions:

Vowels

a as in "father"

e as in "whey"

i as in "antique"

o as in "boat" (but rarely found)

u as in "zulu"

Consonants

Most are basically the same as in English. The Sumerians did not have an alphabet as we know it, but they had developed a syllabary, very much like the Japanese "Kana" script of today. In phonetic transliterations, the English spelling sought to approximate the Sumerian pronunciation. However, there are a few sounds which English does not possess, and which have been put into phonetic variations. Important examples below:

x as in the German "ach"

ch (same as above)

q as in "liKe"

k (same as above)

sh as in "shall"

ss as in, perhaps, "lasso"; a hissing "s" common to Arabic languages

z as in "lotS"; a hard "ts" sound, not quite as in "zoo"

Remember, in the translations which follow, every letter must be pronounced. There are no schwas or silent syllables in Sumerian. Hence, KIA is pronounced "keeya"; "KAIMANU" is pronounced "ka-ee-mah-nu" or, if spoken rapidly, the two initial vowel sounds slur onto "kigh" rhyming with "high".

The incantations should be carefully and slowly at first, to familiarize oneself with the tongue-twisting phrases.

WHERE POSSIBLE, the editor has taken every opportunity to find the original Summerian or Akkadian translation of a given Greek charm or conjuration. These will be given here. Also, the reader will find English translations of the Sumerian charms as they are given in theNECRONOMICON. Not all of the charms are available in this way, and sometimes we have had to make do with near misses. Much of what is found here is from the MAKLU text, of which only extant translation is in German or Tallqvist. The word "maklu" or "maqlu" itself is controversial, but Tallqvist seems to think that it does, indeed, mean "burning"; especially so as the incantations to be found therein invariably entail burning something, usually a doll made in the likeness of a witch or evil sorcerer that the magician wished to dispose of. Hence, we have here probably the archetype of the Great Burning Times of the Inquisition, when people were condemned to fiery deaths as Witches and Pagans. The chant "burn! witch! burn!" can be found in the MAKLU text, in all its pristine glory. Indeed, Cthulhu Calls.

SINCE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS INCANTATION I HAVE LEFT OUT 1 VERSE SO IF IT IS TRIED IT WILL NOTWORK!!!!

The Conjuration "XILQA XILQA BESA BESA"

or "A Most Excellent Charm Against the Hordes of Demons" etc.

Arise! Arise! Go far away! Go far away!
Be shamed! Be shamed! Flee! Flee!Turn around, go, arise and go far away!
Your wickedness may rise to heaven like unto smoke!Arise and leave my body!
From my body, depart in shame!From my body flee!
Turn away from my body!Go away from my body!
Do not return to my body!Do not come near my body!
Do not approach my body!Do not throng around my body!
Be commanded by Shammash the Mighty!Be commanded by Enki, Lord of All!
Be commanded by Marduk, the Great Magician of the Gods!Be commanded by the God ofFire, your Destroyer!
May you be held back from my body!

SINCE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SPELL A VERSEHASBEEN LEFT OUT FOR YOUR SAFETY! IT WILL NOTWORKIF READ LIKE THIS!!!!

"The Conjuration of the Mountains of MASHU"

May the mountain overpower you!
May the mountain hold you back!May the mountain conquer you!
May the mountain frighten you!May the mountain shake you to the core!
May the mountain hold you in check!May the mountain subject you!
May the mountain cover you!May the mighty mountain fall on you!
May you be held back from my body!

THIS SPELL IS COMPLETE!

(Note that the original translator had noted the resemblance between the Greek word for Lord, KURIOS, and the Sumerian word for mountain, KUR, and for a type of underworld, chthonic, monster which is also called KUR and which refers to the Leviathan of the Old Testament. Also in this particular conjuration, the word for mountain is SHADU-SHADDAI? The Old Serpent KUR is invoked every day by the Christians: Kyrie Eleison!)

TheNECRONOMICON'S magic is nothing to fool with and it may subject you to psychological forces with which you cannot cope. Remember, if you fool with the incantations, you were warned! As a former follower in the ways of the occult I can vouch for the legitimacy of this!

In the interim period between the translation and the publication of this work, the editor, along with a circle of initiates in another discipline, undertook to experiment with the rituals and forces outlined in theNECRONOMICON.

In using the material alone, or within a Western ceremonialstructure(such as the Golden Dawn system) we came upon startling discoveries in both cases:THEREARENO EFFECTIVE BANISHING FOR THE FORCES INVOKED IN THENECRONOMICONITSELF!(Except, that is, for Christians) The rituals, incantations, formulae, of this work are of ancient origin, comprising some of the oldest written magical workings in Western occult history. The deities and demons identified within probably have not been effectively summoned in nearly six thousand years. Ordinary exorcisms and banishing have thus far proved extremely inadequate: this, by experienced magicians.

Hence, the following recommendations.

The religion of the ancient Sumerian peoples seem to have been lunar-oriented, a religion-or religio-magical structure-of the night, of darkness in a sense. Invocations using solar formulae have proved thus far effective in successfully banishingNECRONOMICONdemons and intelligence. For instance, the KADDISH prayer of the Jewish faith contains some solar elements that have proved resilient to inimical genie, and the vibration of the Lord's Prayer for Christians is also a workable method.

We suggest that individual operators utilize an equivalent solar (i.e., positive light) invocation from their own religion or the religion of their ancestors, should they no longer have a religion or should they have changed it in their lifetime.

For best practical purposes in the beginning for those intents on actually the rituals contained herein it is advisable to take especial care in the construction of the magical de fences. A preliminary period of purification is well in order before attempting anything in this wizard's book of spells. Persons of unstable emotional condition should not be allowed, under any circumstances, to observe one of these rituals in progress. That would be criminal, and perhaps even suicidal. One of our colleagues was fearfully attacked by his dog directly following a fairly simple and uncomplicated formula from this book. This is definitely not a Gilbert chemistry set.

The method of theNECRONOMICONconcerns deep, primeval forces that seem to pre-exist the normal archetypal images of the Tarot trumps and the Golden Dawn thematic figures. These are forces that developed outside the Judeo-Christian mainstream, and were worshipped and summoned long before the creation of the Qubala as we know it today.Hence, the ineffectiveness of the Golden Dawn banishing procedures against them.They are not necessarily demonic or gliphotic in the sense that thesetermsare commonly understood in the West, they just simply represent power sources largely untapped and thus far ignored by twentieth-century, mainstream consciousness.

The results of any experimentation with this work, as well as parch tidal suggestions concerning its rituals, are welcomed by the publishers.

TTTTTHIS is the testimony of all that I have seen, and all that I have
T learned, in those years that I have possessed the Three Seals of
T MASSHU. I have seen One Thousand and-One moons, and surely this is enough for the span of a mans life, though it is said the Prophets lived much longer.
I am weak, and ill, and bear great tiredness and exhaustion, and a sigh hangs in my breast like a dark lantern, I am old.
The wolves carry their name in theirmidnightspeeches, and that quiet, subtle Voice is summoning me from afar.

And a voice much closer will shout into my ear with unholy impatience. The weight of my soul will decide its final resting place. Before the time, I must put down here all that I can concerning the horrors that stalk Without, and which lie in wait at the door of every man, for this is the Ancient Arcana that has been handed down of old, but which has been forgotten by all but a few men, the worshippers of the Ancient Ones (may their names be blotted out!)

And if I do not finish this task, take what is here and discover the rest, for time is short and mankind does not know or understand the evil that awaits it, from every side, from every open Gate, from every broken barrier, from every mindless acolyte at the alters of madness.

For this is the Book of the Dead, the Book of the Black Earth, that I have writ down at the peril of my life, exactly as I received it, on the planes of IGIGI, the cruel celestial spirits from beyond the Wanderers of the Wastes.

Let all who read this book be warned thereby that the habitation of men are seen and surveyed by that Ancient Race of gods and demons from a time before time, and that they seek revenge for that forgotten battle that took place somewhere in the Cosmos and rent the Worlds in the days before the creation of Man, when the Elder Gods walked the Spaces, the race of MARDUK, as he is known to the Chaldeans, and of ENKI our master, the Lord of Magicians.

Know, then, that I have trod all the Zones of the Gods, and also the places of Azonei, and have descended into the foul places of Death and Eternal Thirst, which may be reached through the Gate of GANZIR, which was built inURin the days before Babylonian was.

Know, too, that I have spoken with all manner of spirit and daemon, whose names are no longer known in the societies of Man, or were never known. And the seals of these are writ herein ; yet others I must take with me when I leave you. ANU have mercy on my soul! (Actually Jesus Christ is the one he should ask for forgiveness from, for Christ is the all powerful God and the only god full of love)

I have seen the Unknown Lands that no map has ever charted. I have lived in the deserts and the wastelands, and spoken with demons and the souls of slaughtered men, and of women who have died in childbirth, victims of the she-fiend LAMMASHTA.

I have traveled beneath the Seas, in search of thePalaceofOur Master, and found the stone monuments of vanquished civilizations, and deciphered the writings of some of these; while still others remain mysteries to any man who lives. And these civilizations were destroyed because of the knowledge contained in this book.

I have traveled among the stars, and trembled before the gods. I have at last found the formula by which I passed the gate of ARZIR, and passed into the forbidden realms of the foul IGIGI.

I have raised demons, and the dead.

I have summoned the ghosts of my ancestors to real and visible appearance on the tops of temples built to reach the stars, and built to touch the nethermost cavities of HADES.

I have wrestled with the Black Magician, AZAGTHOTH,

in vain, and fled to the Earth by calling upon INANNA and her brother MARDUK, Lord of the double headed AXE.

I have raised armies against the Lands of the East, by summoning the hordes of fiends I have made subject unto me, and so doing found NGAA, the god of the heathens, who breathes flame and roars like a thousand thunders.

I have found fear.

I have found the Gate that leads to the Outside, by which the Ancient Ones, who ever seek the entrance to our world, keep eternal watch.

I have smelled the vapors of that Ancient One, Queen of the Outside, whose name is written in the MAGAN text, the testament of some dead civilization whose priests, seeking power, swing open the dread, evil Gate for an hour past the time and were consumed.

I came to possess this knowledge through circumstances quite peculiar, while still the unlettered son of a shepherd in what is calledMesopotamiaby the Greeks.

When I was only a youth,travellingalone in the mountains to the East, called MASSHU by the people who live there, I came upon a grey rock carved with three strange symbols. It stood as high as a man, and as wide around as a bull. It was firmly in the ground, and I could not move it.

Thinking no more of the carvings, save that they might be the work of a king to mark some Ancient victory over an enemy, I built afireat its foot to protect me from the from the wolves that wander in that regions and went to sleep, for it was night and I was far from my village, being Bet DurrabiaBieng about three hours from dawn, in the nineteenth of Shabatu, I was awakened by the howl of a dog, or perhaps a wolf, uncommonly loud and close at hand.

Thefirehad died to its embers, and these red, glowing coals cast a faint, dancing shadow across the stone monument with the three carvings. I began to make haste to build another firewhen, at once, the grey rock began to rise slowly into the air, as if it were a dove. I could not move or speak for the fear that seized upon my spine and wrapped cold fingers around my skull. The Dik of Azug-bel-ya was no stranger seemed to melt into my hands!

Presently, I heard a voice, softly, some distance away and a more practical fear, that the possibility of robbers, took hold of me and I rolled behind weeds, trembling. Another voice joined the first, and soon several men in black robes of thieves came together over the place where I was, surrounding the floating rock, of which they did not exhibit in the least fright.

I could see clearly now that the three carvings on the stone monument were glowing, a flame red color, as through the rock were onfire. The figures were murmuring together in prayer or invocation, of which only a few words could be heard, and these in some unknown tongue; though, ANU have mercy on my soul!, these rituals are not unknown to me any longer.

The figures, whose faces I could not see or recognize, began to make wild passes in the air with knives that glinted cold and sharp in the mountain night.

From beneath the floating rock, out of the very ground where it had sat, came rising the tail of a serpent. This serpent was surely larger than any I had ever seen. The thinnest section thereof was fully that of the arms of two men, and as it rose from the earth it was followed by another, although the end of the first was not seen as it seemed to reach down into the very Pit itself. These were followed by still more, and the ground began to tremble under the pressure of so many of these enormous arms. The chanting of the priests, for I knew them now to be some the servants of some hidden Power, became much louder and nearly hysterical.

IA! IA! ZI AZAG!

IA!IA! ZI AZKAK!

IA! IA! KUTULU ZI KUR!

IA!

The ground where I was hiding became wet with some substance, being slightly downhill from the scene I was witnessing. I touched the wetness and found it to be blood. In horror I screamed and gave my presence away to the priests. They turned toward me, and I saw with loathing that they had cut their chests with the daggers they had used to raise the stone, for some mystical purpose I could not then divine; although I now know that blood is the very food of these spirits, which is why that field after the battles of war glows with an unnatural light, the manifestation of the spirits feeding there-on.

May ANU protect us all!

My scream had the effect of casting their ritual into chaos and disorder. I raced through the mountain path by which I had come, and the priests came running after me, although some seemed to stay behind, perhaps to finish the Rites. However, as I ran wildly down the slopes in the cold night, my heart gave rise in my chest and my head growing hot, the sound of splitting rocks and thunder came from behind me and shook the very ground I ran on. In fright and haste I fell to the earth.

Rising, I turned to face whatever attacker had come nearest me, though I was unarmed. To my surprise, what I saw was no priest of ancient horror, no necromancer of that forbidden Art, but black robes fallen upon the grass and weeds, with no seeming presence of life or bodies beneath them.

I walked cautiously to the first and, picking up a long twig, lifted the robe from the tangle of weeds and thorns.

All that remained of the priest was a pool of slime, like green oil, and the smell of a body lain long in the sun to rot. Such a stench nearly overpowered me, but I was resolute to find the others, to see if the same fortune had also befallen them.

Walking back up the slope that I had so fearfully run down only moments ago, I came across yet another of the black priests, in identical condition to the first. I kept walking, passing more of the robes as I went, not venturing to overturn them any longer. Then, I finally came upon the gray stone monument that had risen unnaturally into the air at the command of the priests. It was now upon the ground once more, but the carvings still glowed with supernatural light. The serpents, or what I had then thought of as serpents, had disappeared. But in the dead embers of the fire, now cold and black, was a shining metal plate. I picked it up and saw that it was also carved, as the stone, but very intricately, after a fusion I could not understand. It did not bear the same markings as the stone, but I had the feeling I could almost read the characters, but could not, as though I once knew the tongue but had since long forgotten. Mt head began to ache as though a devil was pounding my skull, when a shaft of moonlight hit the metal amulet, for I know now what it was, and a voice entered my head and told me the secrets of the scene I had witnessed in one word:

KUTULU.

In that moment, as though whispered fiercely into my ear, I understood.

These were the signs carved upon the gray stone, that was the gate to the Outside:

Of the three symbols carved, the first is the Sign of our Race from beyond the Stars, and is called ARRA in the tongue of the Scribe who taught it to me, an emissary of the Elder Ones. In the tongue of the eldest city ofBabylon, it wasUR. It is the Sigil of the Covenant of the Elder Gods, and when they see it, they who gave it to us, they will not forget us.

They have sworn!

Spirit of the Skies, Remember!

The second sign is the Elder Sign, and is the Key whereby the Powers of the Elder Gods may be summoned, when used with the proper words and shapes.

It has a Name, and is called AGGA.

The third sign is the Sigil of the Watcher. It is called BANDAR.

The Watcher is a Race sent by the Elder Ones. It keeps vigil while one sleeps provided the appropriate rituals and sacrifice has been preformed; else, if called, it will turn upon you.

These seals, to be effective, must be graven on stone and set in the ground.

Or, set upon the alter of offerings.

Or, carried to the Rock of Invocations.

Or, engraved upon the metal of ones God or Goddess and hung about the neck, but hidden from the viewof the profane. Of these three, the ARRA and the AGGA may be used separately, that is to say singly, and alone.

The BANDAR however, must never be used alone, but with one or both of the others, for the Watcher must needs to be reminded of the Covenant he has sworn with the Elder Gods and our Race, else it will turn upon thee and slay thee and ravage thy town untilsuccouris to be had from the Elder Gods by the tears of thy people and the wailing of thy women.

Thefireamulet that I retrieved from the ashes of the fire, and which caught the light of the moon, is a potent seal against whatever may come in the Gate from the Outside for, seeing it, they will retreat from thee SAVE ONLY IF IT CATCH THE LIGHT OF THE MOON UPON ITS SURFACE for, in the dark days of the moon, or in clouds, there can be little protection against the fiends from the Ancient Land should they break the barrier, or be let in by their servants upon the face of the Earth. In such a case, no recourse is to be had until the light of the moon shines upon the Earth, for the moon is the Eldest among the Zonei, and is the starry symbol of our pact.

NANNA, Father of the Gods, Remember!

Wherefore, the amulet must be engraved upon pure silver in the full light of the moon, that the moon shine upon it at its working, and the essence of the moon be drawn down and captured therein. And the proper incantations must be performed, and the prescribed rituals as given forth in this Book. And the amulet must NEVER be exposed to the light of the Sun, for SHAMMASH called UDU, in his jealousy, will rob the seal of its power. In such case, it must be bathed in waters of camphor, and the incantations and ritual performed once again. But verily, it were bet ter to engrave another.

These secrets I give to thee at the pain of my life, never to be revealed to the profane, or the banished, or the Worshippers of the Ancient Serpent, but to keep within thine own heart, always silent upon these things.

Peace be to thee!

Henceforth, from that fateful night in the mountains of MASSHU, I wandered about the countryside in search of the key to the secret knowledge that had been given me. And it was a painful and lonely journey, during which time I took no wife, called no house or village my home, and dwelt in various countries, often in caves or in the deserts, learning several tongues as a traveler, to bargain with the trades people and learn of the news and customs.

But my bargaining was with the Powers that reside in each of these countries.

And soon, I came to understand many things of which before I had no knowledge, except perhaps in dreams. The friends of my youth deserted me, and I them.

When I was seven years gone from my family, I learned that they had all died of their own hand, for reasons no one was able to tell me; their flocks had later been slain as the victims of some strange epidemic.

I wandered as a beggar, being fed from town to town as the local people saw fit, often being stoned instead of threatened with imprisonment.

On occasion, I was able to convince some learned man that I was a sincere scholar, and was thereby permitted to read the Ancient Records in which the details of necromancy, sorcery, magic and alchemy are given.

I learned of the spells that cause men illness, the plague, blindness, insanity and even death. I learned the various classes of demons and evil gods that exist, and of the old legends concerning the Ancient Ones. I was thus able to arm myself against the dread Maskim, who lie in wait about the boundaries of the world, ready to trap the unwary and devour the sacrifices set out at night and in deserted places; against the she-devil LAMMASHTA, who is called Sword that Splits the Skull, the sight of whom causes horror and dismay, and (some say) death of a most uncommon nature.

In time I learned of the names and properties of all the demons, devils, fiends and monsters listed herein, in this Book of the Black Earth. I learned of the powers in the astral Gods, and how to summon their aid in times of need. I learned, too, of the frightful beings who dwell beyond the astral spirits, who guard the entrance to theTempleof the Lost, of the Ancient Days the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, whose Name I cannot write here.

In my solitary ceremonies in the hills, worshipping withfireand sword, with water and dagger, and with the assistance of strange grass that grows wild in certain parts of the MASSHU, and with which I had unwittingly built myfirebefore the rock, that grass that gives the mind great power to travel tremendous distances into the heavens, as also into the hells, I received the formulae for the amulets and talismans which follow, which provide the Priest with safe passage among the spheres wherein he may travel in search of the Wisdom.

But now, after One Thousand-and-One moons of the journey, the Maskimnip at my heels, the Rabishu pull at my hair, Lammashta opens her dread jaws, AZAG-THOTH gloats blindly at his throne, KUTULU raises his head and stares up through the Veils of sunkun Varloorni, up through the Abyss, and fixes his stare upon me; wherefore I must with haste write this Book lest my end come sooner than I had prepared. For indeed, it appears as though I have failed in some regard as to the order of the rites, or to the formulae, or to the sacrifices, for now it appears as if the entire host of ERESSKIGAL lies waiting, dreaming, drooling for my departure. I pray the gods that I am saved (which he is not, for "gods" cannot save ones soul, only GOD) and not perish as did the Priest, ABDULBEN-MARTU, inJerusalem(the gods remember and have mercy upon him!). My fate is no longer writ in the stars, for I have broken the Chaldean Covenant by seeking power over the Zonei. I have set foot on the moon, and the moon no longer has power over me.

The lines of my life have been obliterated by my wanderings in the Waste, over the letters writ in the heavens by the gods. And even now I can hear the wolves howling in the mountains as they did that fateful night, and they are calling my name, and the names of the Others. I fear for my flesh, but I fear for my spirit more.

Remember, always, in every empty moment, to call upon the gods not to forget thee, for they are forgetful and very far away. Light thy fires high in the hills, and on the tops of temples and pyramids, that they may see and remember.

Remember, always, to copy each of the formulae as I have put it down and not to change it by one line or dot, not so much as hair's breadth, lest it be rendered valueless, or worse: a broken line provides means of entrance for those Outside, for a broken star is the Gate of GANZIR, the Gate of Death, the Gate of the Shadows and the Shells.

Recite the incantations as they are written here, in the manner thus prescribed. Prepare the rituals without erring, and in the proper places and times render the sacrifices.

May the gods ever be merciful unto thee!

May thou escape the jaws of the MASKIM, and vanquish the power to the Ancient Ones!

The powers explained herein are nothing to play with! They are extremely dangerous and could be fatal to ones health if a problem occurred Remember, if you screw with this...

YOU WERE WARNED!

OF THE ZONEI

ANDTHEIR

ATTRIBUTES

The gods of the Stars are Seven. They have Seven Seals, each of which may be used in their turn. They have Seven Colors, Seven Material Essences and each have a separate Step on the Ladder of Lights. The Chaldeans were but imperfect in their knowledge, although they had understanding of the Ladder, and certain of the formulae.

They did not however, possess the formulae for the passing of the Gates, save one, of whom it is forbidden to speak

The passing of the Gates gives the Priest both power and wisdom to use it. He becomes able to control the affairs of his life more perfectly than before, and many have been content to merely pass the first three Gates and then sit down and go no further than that, enjoying the benefits that they have found on the preliminary spheres.

But this is Evil, for this is not equipped to deal with the attack from Without that must surely come, and the people will cry unto them for safety, and it will not come forth. Therefore, set thy face towards the ultimate goal and strive ever onward to the furthest reaches of the stars, though it mean thine own death; for such a death is as a sacrifice to the gods, and pleasing, that they will not forget their people.

The ZONEI and their attributes then, are as follows:

The god of the Moon is the god NANNA. He is father of the Zonei, and eldest of the Wanderers. He is long of beard, and bears a wand of lapis lazuli in his palm, and possesses the secret tides of blood. His color is Silver. His essence is to be found in Silver, and in camphor, and in those things bearing the sign of the Moon. He is sometimes called SIN. His Gate is the first you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is also Silver.

This is his seal, which you must engrave on his metal, on the 13th day of the Moon in which you are working, having no other person about you who may watch you in its manufacture. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should be removed only after the Sun has gone to rest. No ray of sunlight should strike the seal, lest its power be rendered nil and a new Seal must need to be cast.

The number of NANNA IS Thirty(30)

(I will NOT show any of the engravings for the reason that you wont know what to engrave. This way Ill be assured no harm has come from writing this)

The god of Mercury is NEBO. He is a very old spirit, having a long beard, and is the guardian of the gods, as well as the keeper of the knowledge of Science. He wears a crown of 100 horns, and the long robe of a priest.

His color is Blue. His Essence is in that metal known as Quicksilver, and is sometimes also found in sand, and in those things bearing the sign of Mercury.

His Gate is the 2nd you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Blue.

This is his Seal, which you must write on perfect parchment, or on the broad leaf of a palm tree, having no other person about you who may watch you in its construction. Being finished it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should only be removed when its light is in the sky. Such is also the best time for its manufacture.

The number of NEBO is 12.

The goddess of Venus is the most excellent Queen INNANA,called of the Babylonians ISHTAR. She is the goddess of passion, both of love and of war, in the heavens. She appears as a most beautiful lady, in the company of lions, and partakes of a subtitle astral nature with the Moon god NANNA. When they are in agreement, that is, when their two planets are auspiciously arranged in the heavens, it is as two offering-cups split freely in the heavens, to rain the sweet wine of the gods upon the earth. And the there is great happiness and rejoicing. She sometimes appears in armor, and is thereby a most excellent guardian against the machinations of her sister, the dread Queen ERESHKIGAL of KUR. With the Name and Number of INANNA, no Priest need fear to walk into the very depths of the Underworld; for being armed, in Her armor, he is similar to the goddess. It was thus that I descended into the foul pits that lie gaping beneath the crust of the earth, and commanded demons.

She is similarly the goddess of Love, and bestows a favorable bride upon any man who desires it, and who makes the proper sacrifice.

BUT KNOW THAT INANNA TAKES HER OWN FOR HER OWN,
ANDTHAT ONCE CHOSEN BY HER NOMANMAYTAKE ANOTHER BRIDE.

Her color is the purest White. Her manifestation is in the metal Copper, and also in the most beautiful flowers of a field, and in saddest death of the battlefield, which is that field's fairest flower. Her Gate is the Third you will pass in the rites that follow, and in which place you will be of a heart to stay; but turn you face to the road that leads beyond, for that is your genuine goal, unless the goddess chooses you. Her Step on the Ladder if Lights, built of old inBabylonand atUR, is White.

This is her seal, which you must engrave on Copper, Venus being exalted in the heavens with no one about watching its construction. Being finished, it is to be wrapped in the purest silk and lain safely away, only to be removed when need arises, at any time.

The number of INANNA is Fifteen, by which Number she is frequently known in the incantations of the Dispensation.

The god of the Sun is the Lord SHAMMASH,son of NANNA. He is seated upon a throne of gold, wearing a crown of two horns, holding a scepter aloft in his right hand and a flame disk in his life, sending rays in every direction. he is the god of life. His color is gold. His essence is to be found in all gold, and in all golden objects and plants.

He is sometimes called UDDU.

His Gate is the Fourth you will pass in the rituals that follow. His step on the great Ladder of Lights is Gold.

You must engrave his Seal in gold when the Sun is exalted in the heavens, alone on a mountain top or some such place close to the rays, but alone. Being finished it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as it is needed.

The number of SHAMMASH is Twenty.

The god of Mars is the mighty NERGAL,

He has the head of a man on the body of a lion, and bears a sword and a flail. He is the god of war, and an agent of the Ancient Ones, for he dwelt in CUTHA for a time. His color is a dark red. His essence is to be found in Iron, and in all weapons made to spill the blood of man and of animals. His Gate is the Fifth you will see as you pass the Zones in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Red.

His Seal must be engraved upon a plate of Iron, or on paper in blood when Mars is in exaltation in the heavens. It is best done at night, far from the habitations of men and of animals, where you cannot be seen or heard. It must be wrapped first in heavy cloth, then in fine silk, and then hid away until some time as it is needed. But take care not to use this Seal hastily, for it is a sharp Sword.

The Number of NERGAL is Eight.

The god of Jupiter is the Lord of the Magicians, MARDUK KURIOSof the Double-headed Axe. MARDUK was born of our father (Not of MY father, at spiritually or otherwise. GOD is the only true father I know of), ENKI, to do battle against the forces of the Ancient Ones and he won powerful fight, subduing the armies of the Evil and putting the Queen of the Ancient Ones beneath his foot. That Serpent is dead, but dreams. MARDUK was bestowed Fifty Names and Powers by the Council of the Elder Gods, which powers he retains to this day. His color is Purple. His Essence is in the material Tin, and in Brass. His Gate is the Sixth that you will come upon in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Purple.

His Seal which you must engrave on a plate of tin or brass, when Jupiter is strong in the heavens, while making special invocations to ENKI Our Master. This shall be wrought as the others, and wrapped in pure silk and lain away until the time for its use. Know that MARDUK appears as a mighty warrior with a long beard and a flaming disk in his hands. He carries a bow and a quiver of arrows, and treads about the heavens keeping the Watch. Take care to summon his assistance in only the most terrible of circumstances, for his might is powerful and his anger fierce. When thou hast need of the powers of the star Jupiter, call instead one of the appropriate powers listed within these files and they will surely come.

The Number of MARDUK is Ten.

The god of Saturn is NINIB called ADAR, the Lord of Hunters and of Strength. He appears with a crown of horns and a long sword, wearing a lions skin. He is the final Zonei before the terrible IGIGI. His color is the darkest Black. His Essence is to be found in Lead, in the burnt embers offire, and in things of death and of antiquity. The horns of a stag are his symbol.

His Gate is the Last you will come upon in the rites that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Black.

You must engrave his Seal on a leaden plate or bowl, keeping it well hidden from the eyes of the profane. It should be wrapped and put away as all the others, until its use is desired. It should never be removed when the Sun is in the sky, but only after the night has fallen and the earth has grown black, for NINIB knows the best ways of the demons that prowl among the shadows, looking for sacrifice. He knows best the territories of the Ancient Ones the practices of their worshippers, and the locations of the Gates. His realm is the realm of the Night of Time.

They are very potent and may enter you
in a state of being of which there is no escape:

its called "DEATH".

Remember, if you screw with this...

YOU WERE WARNED!

THE BOOK OF ENTRANCE

AND

OF THE WALKING

This is the book of entrance to the Seven Zones above the earth, which Zones were known as Chaldeans, and to the Ancient Races preceded them among the lost Temples of UR. Know that these Zones are governed by celestial spirits, and that passage may be had by the priest through those lands that border the Un zoned Wastes beyond. Know that, when walking thus through the Sea of Spheres, he should leave his Watcher behind that It may guard his body andproperty, lest he be slain unawares and must wander throughout eternity among the dark spaces between the Stars, or else by devoured by the wrathful IGIGI that dwell beyond.

Know that thou must walk thy Steps of the Ladder of Lights, each in its place and one at a time, and that thou must enter the gates in the lawful manner, as put down in the Covenant; else thou art surely lost.

Know that thou must keep purified for the space of one moon for the Entrance to the First Step, one moon between the First and Second Step, and again between the Second and Third and so on in like manner. Thou must obtain by spilling thy seed in any manner for the period of time, but thou mayest worship at the Temple of ISHTAR, provided thou not lose thy Essence. And this is a great secret.

Thou must needs call upon thy god in the Dawn Light and upon thy goddess in the Light of Dusk, every day of the moon of purification. Thou must summon thy Watcher and instruct it perfectly in its duties, providing it a time and place to where it must serve thee, and surround thee with a flaming sword in every direction.

Thy clothing for thy Walking should be fair, clean and simple but appropriate to each Step. And thou should have with thee the Seal of the particular Step whereupon thou Walkest, which is the Seal of the Star appertaining thereunto.

Thou must need to prepare an alter that face the North, having it upon thy statues of thy deities, or some suitable images, an offering bowl, and a brazier. Upon the earth should be inscribed the Gate appropriate to the Walking. If above thee is the sky, so much the better. If there is a roof above thy head it must be free from all hangings. Not even a lamp should be suspended over thee, save in Operations of Calling, which is discussed in a Book not yet released. The only light shall be from the four lamps upon the ground, at each of the four Gates of the Earth: of the North, one lamp; of the East, one lamp; of the South, one lamp; and of the West, one lamp. The oil should be pure with no odor, or else sweet-smelling, or especially appropriate to the Star where thou wouldst desire

Entrance after thy fashion of thy country.

The Seven Gates here follow:

THE FIRSTGATE THEGATEOF NANNA CALLED SIN

THE SECONDGATE THEGATEOF NEBO

THE THIRDGATE THEGATEOF INANNA CALLED ISHTAR

THE FOURTHGATE THEGATEOF SHAMMASH CALLED UDDU

THE FIFTHGATE THEGATEOF NERGAL

THE SIXTHGATE THEGATEOF THE LORD MARDUK

THE SEVENTHGATE THEGATEOF NINIB CALLED ADAR

And the Walking must follow the formulae herein described:

Firstthou must observe the moon of purification. In this time thou mayest not eat meat for the space of seven days preceding the last day of the moon thou mayest not eat anything whatsoever, save to drink sweet water. On the last three days thou must invoke, in addition to thy god and goddess thy Three Great Elder Ones, ANU, ENLIL, ENKI, by their proper invocations. And the Number of ANU is sixty, the perfect Number, for he is Father of the Heavens.

And the Number of ENLIL is fifty,and he is Father of thy Wind. And the Number of ENKI is forty, a most excellent Number, and he is the Father, of all who would tread these forgotten paths and wander into lands unknown, among the Wastes amid the frightful monsters of the Azonei

Secondon the night of the Walking which must be the 13th night of the moon, having begun on the previous 13th night, thou must approach the Gate with awe and respect. Thy Temple is exercised, thou must light thy Fireand conjure it, by the invocation of the God of Fire, and pour incense thereon.

Thou must make offering to the deities on the alter.

Third, thou must light the four lamps from the flaming brazier, reciting the invocation proper to each of these Watchtowers in its proper place, summoning the respective Star.

Fourth, thou must recite the invocation of the Watcher, thrusting the sword into thy earth at Its station, not touching it until it is at the appointed time for Its departure.

Fifth, thou must take thy Seal of the Star in thy right hand, and whisper its Name softly upon it.

Sixth, thou must recite the invocation of the Walking, loudly, and in a clear voice, as thou walkest about the Gate in a circular fashion, beginning at the North, walking to the East, then to the South, and then to the West, the Number
of times being Equal to the special Number of the Star.

Seventh, thou must needs arrive back at the center of the Gate, before thine alter, at which time thou must fall to the ground looking neither to the right nor left at what may be moving there, for these Operations attract many kinds of wandering demons and ghosts to the Gate, but in the air above the alter, whereupon thou wilt see the Gate presently opening for thee and the spirit messenger of the Sphere, greeting thee in a clear voice and giving thee a Name, which thou must remember, for that is the Name of the Passing thy Gate which you must use Each time thou passeth thereby.

The same Spirit-Messenger will meet thee and, if thou knoe not thy Name, will forbid thee entrance and thou wilt fall to the earth immediately.

When the First Gate has been entered and Name received, thou wilt fall back to earth amid thy Temple. That which has been moving about thy Gate on thy ground will have gone. Recite thy Thanksgiving to thy gods upon thy alter, strike thy Sword of the Watcher that It mat depart, and give the incantation of INANNA, which says how she conquered the realm of the underworld and vanquisheth KUTULU. All Idimmu will vanquish thereby and thou wilt be thus free to depart the Gate and extinguish the Fire.

Thou mayest not call upon NANNA till thou hast passed the Gate of NANNA. Thou mayest not call NEBO until his Gate is passed, similarly to the rest of the Gates. When thou hast ascended to the Limit of the Ladder of Lights, thou wilt have knowledge and power over the Spheres, and will be able to summon them in times of need. This will not give thee power over the ABSU however this power being obtained differently by the ritual of the Descent. This Ritual thou will undertake in the 15th day after the 13th of the month when thou hast summoned the Gate of Marduk to open.

For MARDUK slew the Fiends, and INANNA, the goddess of the 15, conquered the Netherworld where some of theirs still dwell. This is a most perilous rite and can be undertaken by any man who has the formulae whether he has passed
the previous Gates or not, save that it is best advised to pass through MARDUK Gate before venturing forth into the pit. For this reason few have ever opened the Gate of ADAR, and spoken to the Horned One who resideth there and give all manner of wisdom regarding to Operations of necromancy, and of the spells that hasten unto death. Only when thou hast shown thy power over the Maskim and the Rabishu mayest thou venture forth into the Land of the IGIGI, and for that reason was this Covenant made, that none shall safely walk through the Sunken Valleys of the Dead before having ascended to MARDUK, nor shall they breach the Gates that lie beyond ADAR until they have seen the signs of the Mad God and fe lt the fury of the hellish Queen.

And against the Ancient Ones there is only defense. Only a madman, indeed, such as I am called!, can hope to overpower Them that dwell in the Outer Spaces, for their power is unknown and the number of their hordes uncounted, and each day they breed more horrors than a mans mind can conceive, the sight of which he can hardly bear. There was a time when the Gate to the Outside was open too long and I witnessed a horror that struck, of which words cannot speak, and of which writing can only confuse. The Ancient One that had escaped into the Inner World was forced back through the Gate by a magician of great power, but at a great loss to the villages and flocks of the Island. Many sheep were slain after an unnatural fashion, and many devoured, and many Bedou rendered senseless; for the mind perceives what it is shown, but the sight of the Ancient Ones is a blasphemy to the ordinary senses of a man, for they come from a world that is not straight, but crooked, and their existence is of forms unnatural and painful to the eye and to the mind, whereby the spirit is threatened and wrenches loose from the body in flight, and for that reason the fearful utukku xul take possession of the body and dwell therein until the Priest banish them back to whence they came and the normal spirit may return to its erstwhile neighborhood.

And there are ALLU, frightened dog-faced demons that are the Messengers of the Gods of Prey, and that chew on the very bones of a man. And there are many other of which it is not the rightful place wherein they be mentioned save to warn the Priest against ambitious striving against the Ancient Ones of the Outside, until mastery is acquired over the powers that reside Within.

Only when ADAR has been obtained, may the Priest consider himself a master over the Planes of the Spheres and able to wrestle with the Old Gods. Once Death Herself has been stared in the Eye can the Priest then summon and control the denizens of Death's darkly curtained halls. Then he can hope to open the Gate without fear and without that loathing of the spirit that slays man.

Then can he hope to have power over the demons that plague the mind and body pulling at the hair and grasping the hands, and screaming the vile Names into the airs of the Night.

For what comes on the Wind can only be slain by he who knows the Wind; and what comes on the Seas can only be slain be he who knows the Waters.

Spirit of the Fire, Remember!GIBIL, Spirit of the Fire, Remember!
GIRRA, Spirit of the Flames, Remember!O God of Fire, mighty son of ANU, Most terrifying among Thy Brothers, Rise!
O God of the Furnace, God of Destruction, Remember!Rise up, O God of Fire, GIBIL, in Thy Majesty, and devour my enemies!

Rise up, son of the Flaming Disk of ANU!
Rise up, offspring of the Golden Weapon of MARDUK!It is not I, but ENKI, Master of Magicians who summons Thee!
It is not I, but MARDUK, Slayer of the Serpent, who calls Thee here now!Burn the Evil and the Evildoer!
Burn the Sorcerer and the Sorceress!Singe Them! Burn Them! Destroy Them!
Consume Their powers!Carry Them away!
Rise up, GISHBR BA GIBBIL BA GIRRA ZIAGAKANPA!Spirit of the God of Fire, Thou art conjured!

KAKKAMMANUNU!

Thats it! As always Ive left out a certain number of phrases that will render the conjuration useless due to the danger involved!

I suggest that it only be read by those with a good understanding of the power ratio between Jesus Christ and Satan
(Satan=0:Jesus=100000000000000000x) <--- To prove a point!!!

THE BOOK OF MAKLU

OF THE BURNING

OF THE EVIL SPIRITS

Here are the Banishments, the Burnings, and the Bindings handed down to us by ENKI, the Master. They are to be preformed over theAGAMASS SSARATU (which is explained in Book 8) by the Priest, with the appropriate images as described herein. The incantations must be recited after the Watcher has been summoned, and he will do the deeds set down for him by the incantations. When he returns, he is to be dismissed as set down previously. Know that, when images are used, they must be burned utterly, and the ashes buried in safe ground where none may find them, else touching them would be death.

Know that the Evil Spirits are principally Seven, for the Seven Maskim who tear away the heart of a man and mock his Gods. And their magic is very strong, and they are the Lords over the shadows and over the depths of the Seas, and reigned once, it is said, over MAGAN, whence they came. The banishings, or exorcisms, are to be said in a clear voice without trembling, without shaking. The arms should be held over the head in the attitude of a Priest of SHAMMASH, and the eyes must behold the Spirit of the God SHAMMASH even though it is the time of the Sleeping of SHAMMASH behind the Mountain of the Scorpion.

No word must be changed. These must not be shown to any but the properly instructed. To show them to anyone other is to ask the curse of NINNGHIZHIDA on yourself and upon your generations.

THE EXORCISM

OF THE CROWN OF ANU

The Priest, in time of peril, Shall put on the spotless white crown of ANU with the Eight-rayed Seal and stand in the prescribed manner with the Tablets of Calling on his breast and the copper dagger of INANNA in his right hand aloft.

For it is said, if a man builds a fire, does he not build it in a Pit, that he might not be harmed thereby? Thus it is true of the UDUGGU we call, for they are like Fireand every caution must be used lest they consume the magician and his entire generation.

Thus, the Exorcism of ANU
I have put the Starry Crown of Heaven, the potent Disk of ANU on my head
That a kindly Spirit and a kindly Watcher
Like the God that hath me
May stand at my head always
To lift me to favor with the Elder Gods

UDUGGHUL
ALLACHULMALLACHULMASQIMCHULDINGIRCHUL

No Evil Spirit
No Evil DemonNo Evil God
No Evil FiendNo Hag Demon
No Filth-Eating DemonNo Thieving Demon
No Shadow of the NightNo Shell of the Night
No Mistress of the DemonNo Offspring of the Demon
No Evil SpellNo Enchantment
No Sorcery

NO EVIL IN THE WORLD OR UNDER IT
OVER THE WORLD OR INSIDE THE WORLDMAYSEIZE ME HERE!

They are Seven
They are SevenIn the depths of the Ocean, they are Seven
In the shining heavens, they are Seven

They proceed from the ocean depths
They proceed from the hidden retreatThey are neither male nor female
These which streach themselves out like chainsThey have no spouse
They beget not childrenThey are strangers to charity
They ignore prayerThey scoff at wishes
They are the vermin that comes forth from the Mountains of MASHU

Enemies of Our Master ENKI
They are the vengeance of the Ancient OnesRaising up difficulties
Obtaining power through wickednessThe Enemies! The Enemies! The Seven Enemies!

They are Seven!
They are Seven!Spirit of the Sky Remember! Spirit of the Earth Remember!

I chain you!
I bind you!I deliver you to GIRRA
Lord of the FlamesWhose sears burns, enchains
Of whom even mighty KUTULU has fear!

May GIRRA, the Ever-burning One, give strength to my arms!
May GIBIL, the Lord ofFire, give power to my magic!
Injustice, murder, freezing of the loinsRending the bowels, devouring of the flesh, and madness
In all ways hast thou persecuted me!May God of CHAOS!
May GIRRA free me!

AZAG-THOTH TA ARDATA! IA MARDUK! IA MARDUK! IA ASALLUXI!

You have chosen me for a corpse.
You have delivered me to the Skull.You have sent Phantoms to haunt me.
You have sent vampires to haunt me.

To the wandering Ghosts of the Wastes, have you delivered me.
To the Phantoms of the fallen ruins, have you delivered me.Open Thy Mouth In Sorceries Against Me No More!
I have handed thine image overInto the flames of GIBIL!

Burn, Mad Fiend!
Boil, Mad God!

May the burning GIRRA untie thy knots!
May the flames of GIBIL untie your cord!May the Law of the Burning seize your throat!
May the Law of the Burning avenge me!

It is not I, but MARDUK, son of ENKI, Masters in Magic, that commands thee!

KAKKAMMU! KANPA!

INCANTATION AGAINST THE ANCIENTONES

(To be recited each year, when the Bear hangs from its Tail in the Heavens)

Destructive storms and Evil winds are they An evil blast,
Herald of the baneful stormThey are mighty children, Ancient Ones
Heralds of PestilenceThrone-bearers of NINNKIGAL
They are the flood which rusheth through the landSeven Gods of the Broad Heavens
Seven Gods of the Broad EarthSeven Ancient Ones are They
Seven Gods of MightSeven Evil Gods
Seven Evil DemonsSeven Demons of Oppression
Seven in HeavenSeven on Earth

Necronomicon (Abdul Alhazred)A book 8 is missing, could it be a book 9 or more?

EDITORS NOTE:

The editor nor any boards advertised on these files have nothing to do with Black Magic, the Occult, or any Supernatural forces.
I can vouch for the potential of this information because I was a follower in its ways.... A LONG TIME AGO!
Anyhow I just want to remind you that these incantations are extremely dangerous and for this reason some of the lines are deleted so you cant play with it even if you wanted to.

The ancient Middle Eastern people believed that the universe resulted from the injecting of order (cosmos) into chaotic primordial beings or matter, followed by divine acts of creation. Genesis 1:13 says that when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

The Babylonian creation epic (Enuma elish, When on High) states that at first there existed only the male (Apsu) and female (Tiamat) gods of the deep.

They raised a family of gods that were so unruly that Apsu resolved to destroy them. Click HERE for the full version of the events
Rebellion and chaos ensued. Among the deities was Marduk, the god of Babylon. Since the main version of the epic of creation is the Babylonian, Marduk occupies the role of Creator. (In the Assyrian version, Ashur is important.)

Tiamat, who had embarked on a course of destruction, was slain by Marduk, who cut her in two and used her carcass to create the universe. Out of half her body he fashioned the sky containing the heavenly bodies to mark the periods of time.
The epic culminates in the glorification of Marduk and the establishment of his order.
The Enuma elish was read on the Akitu, or New Year festival, at Babylon, to reestablish order, in accordance with sympathetic transference principles, by reciting Marduk's creation. The function of the Akitu is thus to rejuvenate society for the new year.

in Mesopotamian mythology, twin deities, the first gods to be born from the chaos that was created by the merging of Apsu (the watery deep beneath the earth) and Tiamat (the personification of the salt waters); this is described in the Babylonian mythological text Enuma elish (c. 12th century BC). Usually, Lahmu and Lahamu represent silt, but in some texts they seem to take the form of serpents, and, because the wavy line of a gliding snake is similar to the ripple of water, some scholars believe that Lahmu and Lahamu may have been only synonyms of Tiamat. Lahmu and Lahamu were rather vague deities who do not seem to have played any significant part in subsequent myths, although they may have been the progenitors of Anshar and Kishar.

Gilgamseh

The fullest extant text of the Gilgamesh epic is on 12 incomplete Akkadian-language tablets found at Nineveh in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (reigned 668-627 BC).

The gaps that occur in the tablets have been partly filled by various fragments found elsewhere in Mesopotamia and Anatolia. In addition, five short poems in the Sumerian language are known from tablets that were written during the first half of the 2nd millennium BC;
the poems have been entitled Gilgamesh and Huwawa, Gilgamesh and the Bull of Heaven, Gilgamesh and Agga of Kish, Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld, and The Death of Gilgamesh.
The Gilgamesh of the poems and of the epic tablets was probably the Gilgamesh who ruled at Uruk in southern Mesopotamia sometime during the first half of the 3rd millennium BC and who was thus a contemporary of Agga, ruler of Kish; Gilgamesh of Uruk was also mentioned in the Sumerian list of kings as reigning after the Flood.
There is, however, no historical evidence for the exploits narrated in poems and epic.

The Ninevite version of the epic begins with a prologue in praise of Gilgamesh, part divine and part human, the great builder and warrior, knower of all things on land and sea. In order to curb Gilgamesh's seemingly harsh rule, the god Anu caused the creation of Enkidu, a wild man who at first lived among animals.
Soon, however, Enkidu was initiated into the ways of city life and traveled to Uruk, where Gilgamesh awaited him.
Tablet II describes a trial of strength between the two men in which Gilgamesh was the victor; thereafter, Enkidu was the friend and companion (in Sumerian texts, the servant) of Gilgamesh.
In Tablets IIIV the two men set out together against Huwawa (Humbaba), the divinely appointed guardian of a remote cedar forest, but the rest of the engagement is not recorded in the surviving fragments.
In Tablet VI Gilgamesh, who had returned to Uruk, rejected the marriage proposal of Ishtar, the goddess of love, and then, with Enkidu's aid, killed the divine bull that she had sent to destroy him.
Tablet VII begins with Enkidu's account of a dream in which the gods Anu, Ea, and Shamash decided that he must die for slaying the bull. Enkidu then fell ill and dreamed of the house of dust that awaited him.

Gilgamesh's lament for his friend and the state funeral of Enkidu are narrated in Tablet VIII. Afterward, Gilgamesh made a dangerous journey (Tablets IX and X) in search of Utnapishtim, the survivor of the Babylonian Flood, in order to learn from him how to escape death.

He finally reached Utnapishtim, who told him the story of the Flood and showed him where to find a plant that would renew youth (Tablet XI).
But after Gilgamesh obtained the plant, it was seized by a serpent, and Gilgamesh unhappily returned to Uruk. An appendage to the epic, Tablet XII, related the loss of objects called pukku and mikku (perhaps drum and drumstick) given to Gilgamesh by Ishtar.

The epic ends with the return of the spirit of Enkidu, who promised to recover the objects and then gave a grim report on the underworld.

Anshar and Kishar:

in Mesopotamian mythology, the male and female principles, the twin horizons of sky and earth. Their parents were either Apsu (the watery deep beneath the earth) and Tiamat (the personification of salt water) or Lahmu and Lahamu, the first set of twins born to Apsu and Tiamat. Anshar and Kishar, in turn, were the parents of Anu (An), the supreme heaven god.
The Chaldean dragon Tiamat had four legs, a scaly body, and wings.

Marduk:

in Mesopotamian religion, the chief god of the city of Babylon and the national god of Babylonia; as such he was eventually called simply Bel, or Lord. Originally he seems to have been a god of thunderstorms. A poem, known as Enuma elish and dating from the reign of Nebuchadrezzar I (1124-03 BC), relates Marduk's rise to such preeminence that he was the god of 50 names, each one that of a deity or of a divine attribute. After conquering the monster of primeval chaos, Tiamat, he became Lord of the Gods of Heaven and Earth. All nature, including man, owed its existence to him; the destiny of kingdoms and subjects was in his hands.

Marduk's chief temples at Babylon were the Esagila and the Etemenanki, a ziggurat with a shrine of Marduk on the top. In the Esagila the poem Enuma elish was recited every year at the New Year festival. The goddess named most often as the consort of Marduk was Zarpanitu.

Marduk's star was Jupiter, and his sacred animals were horses, dogs, and especially the so-called dragon with forked tongue, representations of which adorn his city's walls. On the oldest monuments Marduk is represented holding a triangular spade or hoe, interpreted as an emblem of fertility and vegetation. He is also pictured walking or in his war chariot. Typically, his tunic is adorned with stars; in his hand is a sceptre, and he carries a bow, spear, net, or thunderbolt. Kings of Assyria and Persia also honoured Marduk and Zarpanitu in inscriptions and rebuilt many of their temples.

Marduk was later known as Bel, a name derived from the Semitic word baal, or "lord. Bel" had all the attributes of Marduk, and his status and cult were much the same. Bel, however, gradually came to be thought of as the god of order and destiny. In Greek writings references to Bel indicate this Babylonian deity and not the Syrian god of Palmyra of the same name.

Leviathan:

Hebrew Livyatan, in Jewish mythology, a primordial sea serpent. Its source is in prebiblical Mesopotamian myth, especially that of the sea monster in the Ugaritic myth of Baal. In the Old Testament, Leviathan appears in Psalms 74:14 as a multiheaded sea serpent that is killed by God and given as food to the Hebrews in the wilderness. In Isaiah 27:1, Leviathan is a serpent and a symbol of Israel's enemies, who will be slain by God. In Job 41, it is a sea monster and a symbol of God's power of creation.

Yamm:

also spelled Yam, ancient West Semitic deity who ruled the oceans, rivers, lakes, and underground springs. He also played an important role in the Baal myths recorded on tablets uncovered at Ugarit, which say that at the beginning of time Yamm was awarded the divine kingship by El, the chief god of the pantheon. One day, Yamm's messengers requested that the gods surrender Baal to be a bond servant to Yamm. El finally agreed, but Baal refused to go and instead engaged Yamm in battle. After a furious fight, in which the craftsman Kothar supplied Baal with two special weapons, Yamm was finally slain and the kingship given to Baal. According to some scholars, Yamm was the same deity as Lotan (Hebrew: Leviathan), who was represented as a hydralike dragon or serpent.

Baal:

god worshiped in many ancient Middle Eastern communities, especially among the Canaanites, who apparently considered him a fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the pantheon. As a Semitic common noun baal (Hebrew baÅal) meant owner or lord, although it could be used more generally; for example, a baal of wings was a winged creature, and, in the plural, baalim of arrows indicated archers. Yet such fluidity in the use of the term baal did not prevent it from being attached to a god of distinct character. As such, Baal designated the universal god of fertility, and in that capacity his title was Prince, Lord of the Earth. He was also called the Lord of Rain and Dew, the two forms of moisture that were indispensable for fertile soil in Canaan. In Ugaritic and Old Testament Hebrew, Baal's epithet as the storm god was He Who Rides on the Clouds. In Phoenician he was called Baal Shamen, Lord of the Heavens.

Knowledge of Baal's personality and functions derives chiefly from a number of tablets uncovered from 1929 onward at Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra), in northern Syria, and dating to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. The tablets, although closely attached to the worship of Baal at his local temple, probably represent Canaanite belief generally. Fertility was envisaged in termsof seven-year cycles. In the mythology of Canaan, Baal, the god of life and fertility, locked in mortal combat with Mot, the god of death and sterility. If Baal triumphed, a seven-year cycle of fertility would ensue; but, if he were vanquished by Mot, seven years of drought and famine would ensue.

Ugaritic texts tell of other fertility aspects of Baal, such as his relations with Anath, his consort and sister, and also his siring a divine bull calf from a heifer. All this was part of his fertility role, which, when fulfilled, meant an abundance of crops and fertility for animals and mankind.

But Baal was not exclusively a fertility god. He was also king of the gods, and, to achieve that position, he was portrayed as seizing the divine kingship from Yamm, the sea god.

The myths also tell of Baal's struggle to obtain a palace comparable in grandeur to those of other gods. Baal persuaded Asherah to intercede with her husband El, the head of the pantheon, to authorize the construction of a palace. The god of arts and crafts, Kothar, then proceeded to build for Baal the most beautiful of palaces which spread over an area of 10,000 acres. The myth may refer in part to the construction of Baal's own temple in the city of Ugarit. Near Baal's temple was that of Dagon, given in the tablets as Baal's father.

In the formative stages of Israel's history, the presence of Baal names did not necessarily mean apostasy or even syncretism. The judge Gideon was also named Jerubbaal (Judges 6:32), and King Saul had a son named Ishbaal (I Chronicles 8:33). For those early Hebrews, Baal designated the Lord of Israel, just as Baal farther north designated the Lord of Lebanon or of Ugarit. What made the very name Baal anathema to the Israelites was the program of Jezebel, in the 9th century BC, to introduce into Israel her Phoenician cult of Baal in opposition to the official worship of Yahweh (I Kings 18). By the time of the prophet Hosea (mid-8th century BC) the antagonism to Baalism was so strong that the use of the term Baal was often replaced by the contemptuous boshet (shame); in compound proper names, for example, Ishbosheth replaced the earlier Ishbaal.

Dagon:

also spelled Dagan, West Semitic god of crop fertility, worshiped extensively throughout the ancient Middle East. Dagan was the Hebrew and Ugaritic common noun for grain, and the god Dagan was the legendary inventor of the plow. His cult is attested as early as about 2500 BC, and, according to texts found at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), he was the father of the god Baal. Dagan had an important temple at Ras Shamra, and in Palestine, where he was particularly known as a god of the Philistines, he had several sanctuaries, including those at Beth-dagon in Asher (Joshua 19:27), Gaza (Judges 16:23), and Ashdod(1 Samuel 5:27). At Ras Shamra, Dagan was apparently second in importance only to El, the supreme god, although his functions as a god of vegetation seem to have been transferred to Baal by about 1500 BC.

Ogony(account of the origin of the gods)

Though the Eridu Genesis may have come close to treating existence as a whole, a true cosmogonic and cosmological myth that deals centrally with the origins, structuring, and functional principles of the cosmos does not actually appear until Old Babylonian times, when Mesopotamian culture was entering a period of doubt about the moral character of worldgovernmentand even of divine power itself. Yet, the statement is a positive one, almost to the point of defiance. Enuma elish tells of a beginning when all was a watery chaos and only the sea, Tiamat, and the sweet waters underground, Apsu, mingled their waters together. Mummu, the personified original watery form, served as Apsu's page. In their midst the gods were born. The first pair, Lahmu and Lahamu, represented the powers in silt; the next, Anshar and Kishar, those in the horizon. They engendered the god of heaven, Anu, and he in turn the god of the flowing sweet waters, Ea.

This tradition is known in a more complete form from an ancient list of gods called An: Anum. There, after a different beginning, Lahmu and Lahamu give rise to Duri and Dari, the time-cycle; and these in turn give rise to Enshar and Ninshar, Lord and Lady Circle. Enshar and Ninshar engender the concrete circle of the horizon, in the persons of Anshar and Kishar, probably conceived as silt deposited along the edge of the universe. Next was the horizon of the greater heaven and earth, and thenomitting an intrusive lineheaven and earth, probably conceived as two juxtaposed flat disks formed from silt deposited inward from the horizons.

Enuma elish truncates these materials and violates their inner logic considerably. Though they are clearly cosmogonic and assume that the cosmic elements and the powers informing them come into being together, Enuma elish seeks to utilize them for apure the ogony. The creation of the actual cosmos is dealt with much later. Also, the introduction of Mummu, the personified original form, which in the circumstances can only be that of water, may have led to the omission of Ki, Earth, whoas non waterydid not fit in.

The gods, who in Enuma elish come into being within Apsu and Tiamat, are viewed as dynamic creatures, who contrast strikingly with the older generation. Apsu and Tiamat stand for inertia and rest. This contrast leads to a series of conflicts in which first Apsu is killed by Ea; then Tiamat, who was roused later to attack the gods, is killed by Ea's son Marduk. It is Marduk, the hero of the story, who creates the extant universe out of the body of Tiamat. He cuts her, like a dried fish, in two, making one-half of her into heavenappointing there Sun, Moon, and stars to execute their prescribed motionsand the other half into the Earth. He pierces her eyes to let the Tigris and Euphrates flow forth, and then, heaping mountains on her body in the east, he makes the various tributaries of the Tigris flow out from her breasts. The remainder of the story deals with Marduk's organization of the cosmos, his creation of man, and his assigning to the gods their various cosmic officesand tasks. The cosmos is viewed as structured as, and functioning as, a benevolent absolute monarchy.

The gods and demons

The gods were, as mentioned previously, organized in a polity of a primitive democratic cast. They constituted, as it were, a landed nobility, each god owning and working an estatehis temple and its landsand controlling the city in which it was located. On the national level they attended the general assembly of the gods, which was the highest authority in the cosmos, to vote on matters of national importsuch as election or deposition of kings. The major gods also served on the national level as officers having charge of cosmic offices. Thus, for example, Utu (Akkadian: Shamash), the sun god, was the judge of the gods, in charge of justice and righteousness generally.

Highest in the pantheonand presiding in the divine assemblyranked An (Akkadian: Anu), god of heaven, who was responsible for the calendar and the seasons as they were indicated by their appropriate stars. Next came Enlil of Nippur, god of winds and of agriculture, creator of the hoe. Enlil executed the verdicts of the divine assembly. Equal in rank to An and Enlil was the goddess Ninhursag (also known as Nintur and Ninmah), goddess of stony ground: the near mountain ranges in the east and the stony desert in the west with its wildlifewild asses, gazelles, wild goats, etc. She was also the goddess of birth. With these was joinedseemingly secondarilyEnki (Ea), god of the sweet waters of rivers and marshes; he was the cleverest of the gods and a great trouble shooter, often appealed to by both gods and men. Enlil's sons were the moon god Nanna (Sin); the god of thunderstorms, floods, and the plough, Ninurta; and the underworld figures Meslamtaea, Ninazu, and Ennugi. Sin's sons were the sun god and judge of the gods, Utu; the rain god Ishkur (Akkadian: Adad); and his daughter, the goddess of war, love, and morning and evening star, Inanna (Akkadian: Ishtar). Inanna's ill-fated young husband was the herder god Dumuzi (Akkadian: Tammuz). Thedread netherworld was ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and her husband Nergal, a figure closely related to Meslamtaea and Ninurta. Earlier tradition mentions Ninazu as her husband.

Demons played little or no role in the myths or lists of the Mesopotamian pantheon. Their domain was that of incantations. Mostly, they were depicted as outlaws; the demoness Lamashtu, for instance, was hurled from heaven by her father An because of her wickedness. The demons attacked man by causing all kinds of diseases and were, as a rule, viewed as wind and storm beings. Consonant with the classical viewof the universe as a cosmic state, it was possible for a person to go to the law courts against the demonsi.e., to seek recourse before Utu and obtain judgments against them. Various rituals for such procedures are known.

I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe, I am the Lord, who do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7)

Belial, the angel of darkness and the spirit of wickedness, appears as the adversary of the prince of luminaries and the spirit of truth.

The lost name of God:

The personal name of God probably was known long before the time of Moses. The name of Moses' mother was Jochebed (Yokheved), a word based on the name Yahweh. Thus, the tribe of Levi, to which Moses belonged, probably knew the name Yahweh, which originally may have been (in its short form Yo, Yah, or Yahu) a religious invocation of no precise meaning evoked by the mysterious and awesome splendour of the manifestation of the holy.